In the last couple of years, it has been a big deal when Samsung introduces a higher speed memory. This has less to do with the actual performance of the new Samsung memory than it does with the fast acceptance of the higher memory speed by the Computer industry; higher speed memory from Samsung quickly legitimizes the new speed rating. New Samsung speed introductions also find their way quickly into systems from all the major system manufacturers. At the other end of the spectrum, Samsung modules find their way quickly into memory for custom-built or "white-box" systems.

As a member of JEDEC, the industry standards committee, Samsung memory introductions are tied closely to approved JEDEC standards. Where DDR400 has been the standard highest-speed DDR for a while, Samsung's introduction of DDR466 represents the next, and probably last, standard for DDR memory speed. DDR466 is only a partially approved JEDEC standard, and speculation remains that DDR533 will likely never see the light of day as a memory specification with the upcoming introduction of DDR2. This, of course, is very much related to market acceptance of DDR2, since there was never supposed to be a DDR400 or DDR466 standard either.

DDR466, then, is the next standard DDR memory speed, and the Samsung modules represent the standard 3-4-4 timings and standard voltage. Custom memory makers, like Corsair, Geil, Kingmax, Kingston, Mushkin, OCZ and others, use specially selected "standard" memory chips to create whatever speed they choose, but the starting point for all memory is a standard chip manufactured to certain JEDEC standards.

Samsung modules have also earned quite a reputation, in the past, for significantly outperforming their specifications. With that in mind, we looked forward to putting the latest Samsung DDR466 through the performance tests.